Help - gaining weight on hrt - oestrogel and utrogestan

[cheeseomelette]

Started in January and have gained 8 lbs I really don’t need. It’s amazing for my symptoms but I’m really hungry on it. Have been intermittent fasting for years and suddenly can’t do without breakfast so have reintroduced that. I am craving carbs.

my diet is vegetarian and generally healthy - I am low alcohol, eat a range of vegetables, salads, nuts etc. I know what to avoid and have minimal junk.

will this stop? I’ve started tracking calories to keep an eye on that and have upped protein. I already walk 10-15k steps a day, go to the gym 3 times a week and drink water and black coffee so I’m at a loss. Hrt is the key difference here.

ive been doing 2 pumps and a tablet each night but ChatGPT suggests moving the gel application to the morning so I’m going to try that.

i’m 50 and just about to hit 12 months without a period, for context.

My bmi is just under 27 at this weight. I usually sit at the top of a healthy weight as I have a fairly muscular build.

i feel like I’ve been inflated

I had to go off HRT in January because I blew up like a blimp. Despite exercising and calorie counting ( not eligible for WLI) Already down 3 kg and a whole cup size.

I am enduring the hot flashes somehow, and dealing with anxiety by walking/ swimming more.

My suggestion is you drop to 1 pump of gel and work upwards.
This is what consultants often advise but GPs aren't so educated on HRT.
And also consider moving to sequential HRT for 6 months to see if that changes anything.

Thank you @JinglingSpringbells that is exactly what I concluded.

2 days without the progesterone and my appetite is already almost back to normal. it’s definitely that.

I’ve had one pump of the gel this morning so will see how that goes for temperature control tonight.

Just to update that I’ve really been tracking calories, upped protein and dropped 6 of the pounds. Hooray.

I’ve also switched to sequential utrogestan rather than continuous.

it’s all stalled a bit this week but I feel generally better already

Why are people using chatgpt for medical advice.

That's brilliant!

On this thread?
Chatgpt is not always right. But sometimes it is.
But you can cross-reference anything it says with other sources.

Because it can be extremely helpful

What do you mean by sequential please.
Ive found hrt miracle for my anxiety but im.cramping and bleeding like mad

My weight has ballooned on patch and progesterone. I can't bear to weigh myself. However I'd not give up my hrt as hot flushes and anxiety were making life miserable. I might try WLI

Sequential is when you take the progesterone for half the month but a stronger dose. The potential advantage is that it contains the side effects to half the month. Then you may have a withdrawal bleed (I didn’t)

if you are having severe symptoms please listen to your doctor and not me though!

ChatGPT is fab - agree about cross referencing. I’m sensible enough that I’m not going to blindly follow anything it says without a bit of additional research.

it also replies to me in seconds, unlike my gp

It's not HRT that causes weight gain it's menopause. Excess cortisol causes weight gain /hunger. Too much cardio exercise causes weight gain Your body craves oestrogen so is finding ways for you to make your own, ie create fat as fat cells contain oestrogen.

I put on loads of weight at age 50 and I wasn't on HRT. I went on HRT and stayed fat. Symptoms evolve over time- I had new symptoms 6 years after menopause but all got sorted out by HRT.

I was using this combination (two pumps of gel) and to my horror put on about 10 pounds in 10 weeks! This was with absolutely no change in appetite, diet or exercise, it was purely the medication itself. I have never put on weight at this rate, it would normally take many months to put on that amount. When I weighed myself and saw the rapid weight gain, I stopped it. The weight gradually came off, with no change to my diet or exercise.

Those who say HRT doesn't cause weight gain unless you eat more and exercise less are talking baloney - they have either not used it themselves, or if they have, have been lucky enough to not have this happen to them.

This is really interesting. I’ve never heard about weight going on to provide the body with estrogen.
Can HRT prevent weight gain before it starts?

I came off it in October when my Mum died, I just completely forgot to take it as my brain was scrambled. Have lost 3 stone since then, partly because of stress and grief but also because I am no longer on HRT. I’ve always been about a size 12 but had ballooned to a size 16, puffy face, enormous boobs. Hated how I looked. Some hot flushes have returned but I would rather manage those than go back on it.

My menopause specialist told me this! I started putting in weight in perimenopause, then it really increased as I hit menopause. My metabolism has reduced enormously. The only way I can lose weight is eating 1000 calories a day which is hard when you're starving hungry all the time!

I don't think you would be prescribed HRT until you start to lose oestrogen naturally. After 45 it's symptom led. I wish I'd gone on HRT then as I had awful symptoms even then

I've never read that either.
So lots of cardio is supposed to increase fat cells?

Isn't that contrary to exercising and being a healthy weight?

I know that fat cells help provide estrogen which is why women who are overweight sometimes have fewer symptoms, but at the same time being very overweight is a high risk factor for female cancers, more than HRT (because hrt is a lower dose.)

Yes, three of my friends have said the same, they’ve put on weight. I still think weight beats the alternative!!!

Exactly what happened to me. I have lost nearly a stone now since I went off HRT and gone down a whole bust size. Can get back into old clothes. Dealing with hot flushes by spraying my face.
I think it's great for most women, but makes some of us bloat. Despite doctors saying otherwise.

It’s SO unhelpful when people come on to these threads and say they didn’t put on weight 🙄

Some of us do! Personally I came off it after a couple of years of piddling around with different types and doses op because it gave me palpitations, weight gain and I was bloody sick of thinking about it.

I’m finding weight training, low carbing, high protein, good sleep and hardly any alcohol have massively helped me. Am down 3st and feeling great!

I also put on weight on HRT.I started post menopause at about 55 years as I was sleeping badly and mood was low. I blew up like a balloon , my already big enough boobs went up two cup sizes .I felt very uncomfortable .My migraine with aura returned then and increased to bi weekly and I had to stop HRT altogether . I have also now got a thickened endometrium which has to be observed so also a bit of a worry .HRT was absolutely not for me .I have since lost 10 kgs which was so so difficult . this whole menopause lark is such a struggle

I really want to stay on HRT due to the positive effects it had on my mental health and the long term protective effects for health. I hate the extra 2 1/2 stone and huge boobs though.

No lots of cardio can increase cortisol production when you are perimenopausal or menopausal. Not for everyone obviously, our bodies are different. Cortisol is a stress hormone that encourages abdominal fat storage, breaks down muscle, and triggers cravings. It is also connected to gum disease which many women experience in perimenopause

I gained nearly 4 stone eating the same and exercising the same, not in HRT. I was doing too much cardio it seems and my metabolism had changed